Spring lever catch and strike cam

ABSTRACT

A spring actuated lever which functions as a catch for a door and as a buffer or cushion for closing movements of the door in cooperation with a strike which is contoured to provide the cushioning action upon initial contact with the spring actuated lever, then provides a camming action to pull the door fully closed whereupon the strike by reason of its shape acts as a catch in association with the spring actuated lever to retain the door in closed position.

United States Patent 1 Stoeckl 1 Mar. 27, 1973 SPRING LEVER CATCH AND STRIKE CAM [75] Inventor: Ernest P. Stoeckl, St. Charles, 111.

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22 Filed: June30, 1971 [21] App1.No.: 158,278

[52] U.S. Cl ..292/79, 292/340 [51] Int. Cl. ..F05c 19/02 [58] Field of Search ..292/73, 74, 75, 23,15, 79,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Fischer ..292/75 Heyer et al. ..292/75 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 8/1963 Gennany ..292/75 9/1959 France ..292/75 Primary Examiner-Marvin A. Champion Assistant Examiner-Robert A. Hafer AttorneyRobert C, Brown, Jr. et a1.

[57] ABSTRACT A spring actuated lever which functions as a catch for a door and as a buffer or cushion for closing movements of the door in cooperation with a strike which is contoured to provide the cushioning action upon initial contact with the spring actuated lever, then provides a camming action to pull the door fully closed whereupon the strike by reason of its shape acts as a catch in association with the spring actuated lever to retain the door in closed position.

6 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures Patented March 27, 1973 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR ERNEST STOECKL yW,M/ /a4/M z ATT'YS.

Patented March 27, 1973 3,722,937

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ERNEST P STOECKL 7 5 5 W M,WM@A

ATT'YS SPRING LEVER CATCH AND STRIKE CAM BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Prior to the present invention spring catches for doors were provided which reciprocated against the pressure of the spring at right angles to the direction of movement of a striking member or the spring devices,

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention however provides a roller member supported in a pivotally mounted lever which is under spring pressure biasing the lever mounted roller into the path of a strike member which is contoured on its roller contacting faces to engage the roller first on one contacting face in a spring conpressing deflection of the lever to provide a cushioning action and then under pressure of the spring effect a camming action on a second contacting face to cause movement of the strike beyond the center of pressure exerted by the roller where a third contacting face is engaged by the roller to effect a retaining or holding action on the strike.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION It is the principal object of this invention to provide a spring pressed lever as a catch for swinging doors.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a pivoted lever supported in a bracket mounting a spring exerting a biasing action on the lever.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of a lever pivoted at one end in a mounting bracket and carrying a roller adjacent its free end with a spring in the mounting bracket exerting a biasing action on the lever and stop means on the bracket to limit the biasing action of the lever.

A further object of the invention is the combination of a spring lever catch with a strike member having a plurality of contacting faces engageable with the spring lever catch to perform respectively independent functions.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a spring lever catch in combination with a strike member having separate contacting faces engageable with the spring lever catch and adapted severally to cooperate with the catch member to function respectively in cushioning, camming and retaining actions.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The foregoing and other objects of the invention are attained by the spring pressed lever catch and contoured strike arrangement illustrated in accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a cabinet and hingedly associated closure showing the relative positioning of the resilient lever mounted roller catch and specially contoured strike member;

FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 are plan sectional views through the cabinet and closure member showing the relationship of the resilient lever catch and contoured strike in the position of initial functioning between the parts, in the second functional position and in the third or fully closed position respectively; and

FIG. 5 is an inside elevational view of the installation of the mounting bracket assembly and strike in a cabinet and the associated door or closure.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In the drawings represents a cabinet having a top cross rail 11. A door or closure member 12 is hingedly mounted on the cabinet 10 by means of hinges 13. A strike member 14 is mounted on the inside face of the closure member 12 and projects inwardly therefrom. A mounting bracket 15 is secured in the top cross rail 11. A pivoted lever member 16 is pivotally mounted adjacent one end in bracket 15 as by pivot mounting 17. At its opposite end pivoted lever 16 carries a roller 18. The lever 16 as shown is of channel section having a web or rear wall 19 which projects beyond the side walls thereof and is adapted to engage a stop 20 on brackets 15 under pressure of a coil type compression spring 21 which has a center guide 22 and seats against a backstop 23 in the mounting bracket. The roller 18 is disposed between the flanges of the channel section lever member and rotates on a pivot 36.

The mounting bracket 15 is of channel section or U- shape having a web or rear wall 24 which provides a mounting surface for attachment in the top cross rail I 11. Spaced flange portions 25 extend outwardly from the rear wall 24. Fastening members 26 secure the mounting bracket assembly in the top cross rail. The lever member 16 comprising the assembly including the roller 18 is disposed between the flanges 25 of the mounting bracket and the pivot 17 mounts the lever assembly therein for pivotal movement toward the strike member 14 as limited by the stop 20 on the rear wall 24 of the mounting bracket. When the projecting rear wall 19 of the pivoted lever is in contact with the stop 20 under pressure exerted by spring 21 the roller 18 is in position to be engaged by the strike member 14 as the closure member 12 carrying the strike is swung to closed position. The complete mounting bracket assembly 15 including pivoted lever assembly 16 and the compression spring assembly 21 operatively mounted between the flanges 25 of the bracket is readily attached in the top cross rail 11 by means of the screws 26 secured through the top cross rail into the rear wall 24 of the bracket.

The strike member assembly 14 includes an angle shaped member comprised of attaching flange 27 and an outstanding strike supporting flange 28 and the strike member 37 which is nonmetallic being fabricated from suitable plastic material. The strike member 37 is secured to the outstanding flange 28 of the angle member by means of fastenings 29. The attaching flange 27 of the angle member is secured to the inside face of the closure member 12 by means of flat head countersunk screws 34. The pivoted lever catch 16 is disposed at the inner side of the top cross rail 11 and the strike member 37 moves through an opening 35 in the top cross rail as the closure member 12 is moved to the closed position whereupon the strike member engages the roller 18 on the pivoted catch member. The flange 28 of the angle member and the top surface of the strike 37 are disposed flush and the fastenings 29, which may comprise countersunk rivets, are disposed flush both top and bottom whereby the size of the opening 35 may be kept to a minimum.

The strike member 37 is specially contoured to obtain the multiple functions of cushioning, closing and retaining the closure member 12. It will be noted that the strike member 37 is provided with a first inclined roller contacting face 31, a second inclined roller contacting face 32 and a third inclined roller contacting face 33. These inclined contacting faces are disposed symmetrically upon respectively opposite side edges of the strike 37 whereby the strike member assembly may be utilized for application in either right hand or left hand installations. As shown in the drawings it will be seen that the strike member 37, as the door 12 is closed, makes contact initially with roller 18 engaging the first inclined face 31 adjacent to the apex between the oppositely inclined surfaces. As the roller 18 rolls along the face 31 during continued closing movement of the door the pivoted lever 16 is deflected inwardly against the resistance exerted by spring 21 thus providing a cushioning action to this portion of the door closing movement represented by travel of the roller 18 along the length of the inclined face 31.

When the roller 18 progresses beyond the length of the inclined face 31 and proceeds onto the second inclined contacting face 32 the geometry is such that the point of juncture between inclined face 31 and the inclined face 32 passes the centerline of pressure applied on the inclined contacting faces by the roller 18 under the influence of spring 21. When the roller passes the juncture point onto the inclined face 32 the relationship is such that the now expanding spring pressure results in a camming action of the roller 18 on the surface 32 and causes the lever mounted roller to exert a force on surface 32 which moves the strike member inwardly of the top cross rail and thus draws the door 12 toward fully closed position.

As the pivoted lever mounted roller 18 passes the juncture point between inclined contacting face 32 and the third inclined contacting face 33 and moves onto the latter surface the relative geometry again changes and the relationship between the opposed parts is such that the pivoted lever mounted roller 18 exerts pressure on the face 33 to retain the strike member in full inward position and thereby hold the door 12 in fully closed position. This result obtains when the last named juncture point passes the centerline of pressure exerted by the lever mounted roller 18 so that the roller, bearing on the inclined contacting face 33, functions like a resilient catch.

From the foregoing it will be seen that there has been provided a resilient, lever mounted roller catch in combination with a specially contoured strike member for mounting respectively in a cabinet and on a swinging closure member whereby in operation the combination of parts affords first a cushioning action on the closure member, then exerts a closing force on the closure member and finally provides a resilient catch to hold the closure member in fully closed position.

The embodiments in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. In a spring pressed catch device comprising a strike member and a pivoted lever, a mounting bracket, a pivotal mounting connecting one end of said lever to said bracket, a spring carried by said bracket biasing said lever toward said strike member, said strike member provided with a plurality of inclined contacting faces engageable severally with said pivoted lever, said contacting faces being inclined at respectively different angles, adapted respectively to effect cushioning, camming, and retaining actions between the strike member and said pivoted lever, and said pivoted lever carrying an antifriction roller mounted therein adjacent its free end for engagement successively by said inclined contacting faces on said strike member.

2. A spring pressed catch device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said spring is a coil type compression spring having a center guide.

3. A spring pressed catch device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said mounting bracket is U-shaped having spaced flanges extending in parallel relation from said mounting surface, and said pivoted lever and said spring being disposed between and mounted in said flanges.

4. A spring pressed catch device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said inclined contacting faces are provided on respectively opposite sides of said strike member for use respectively in right and left hand applications of the strike member.

5. A spring pressed catch device as set forth in claim 4 wherein said mounting surface is provided with means whereby said mounting bracket is secured in the horizontal rail of a cabinet and said strike member is provided with a flange perpendicular thereto for attachment to a swinging closure member.

6. A spring pressed catch device as set forth in claim 4 wherein said strike member includes a nonmetallic strike element. 

1. In a spring pressed catch device comprising a strike member and a pivoted lever, a mounting bracket, a pivotal mounting connecting one end of said lever to said bracket, a spring carried by said bracket biasing said lever toward said strike member, said strike member provided with a plurality of inclined contacting faces engageable severally with said pivoted lever, said contacting faces being inclined at respectively different angles, adapted respectively to effect cushioning, camming, and retaining actions between the strike member and said pivoted lever, and said pivoted lever carrying an antifriction roller mounted therein adjacent its free end for engagement successively by said inclined contacting faces on said strike member.
 2. A spring pressed catch device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said spring is a coil type compression spring having a center guide.
 3. A spring pressed catch device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said mounting bracket is U-shaped having spaced flanges extending in parallel relation from said mounting surface, and said pivoted lever and said spring being disposed between and mounted in said flanges.
 4. A spring pressed catch device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said inclined contacting faces are provided on respectively opposite sides of said strike member for use respectively in right and left hand applications of the strike member.
 5. A spring pressed catch device as set forth in claim 4 wherein said mounting surface is provided with means whereby said mounting bracket is secured in the horizontal rail of a cabinet and said strike member is prOvided with a flange perpendicular thereto for attachment to a swinging closure member.
 6. A spring pressed catch device as set forth in claim 4 wherein said strike member includes a nonmetallic strike element. 